Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in inner seals for caps for bottle or other containers. The caps are capable of providing a visual indication, at the point of purchase, or at least before use, as to whether the bottle or container has been previously opened.
Description of the Prior Art
Removal of a container seal and replacement of the seal by one other than the purchaser of the container is a problem that has existed for some time. Adulteration of the contents of a container can cause extreme physical harm to the consumer and extreme harm to the goodwill of the seller. Accordingly, there is a great need to afford the consumer an opportunity to readily determine whether or not the seal of a container has been previously opened or tampered with since the container left the manufacturer or packaging company. Barriers within a container cap to seal the container have become required by law, but conventional caps must typically be removed at the point of purchase to determine in fact whether or not any tampering was undertaken relative to the inner seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,131,774 discloses a cap which is used to force a plate against a liner or gasket to seal the top of a bottle. Between the plate and the cap is a rupturable disk of fibrous or other suitable rupturable material having impressed thereon a safety design of a type intended to make the duplication or counterfeit of the disk as difficult as possible. It is desirable to bond the disk to the plate by use of a suitable adhesive or cement. The cap, however, is provided with prongs, which, after the cap is in place, are forced downward to penetrate the rupturable disk in areas above a groove formed in the metal plate. When opening the container, it is necessary for the consumer to impart a reverse turning movement to the closure. During the first portion of this movement, the metal shell will turn independently of the packing liner or gasket, the plate and the rupturable disk, and the prongs will move along the groove and tear the material of the disk, thereby forming jagged and irregular tears therein. After the prongs have once been placed through the disk, it is difficult to remove the cap in a manner which could avoid detection.